Laundry machine

Abstract

A laundry machine for washing clothes having both a wash and extraction operation. There is included a rotatable drum for tumbling the clothes and means for introducing liquid into the drum. Means are also provided for producing a vacuum or negative pressure to which is connected two active baffles located on opposite sides of the interior of the drum to withdraw the liquid and air from the drum and two inactive baffles therebetween. This arrangement improves the washability of such a laundry machine.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A laundry machine having both a wash and extraction operation including: a. a rotatable horizontal axis drum for tumbling clothes therein, said drum having only two active baffles and two inactive baffles secured to the interior of the drum, said two active baffles being located on opposite sides of the interior of the drum between 170° and 190° apart,   b. means for continuously introducing fresh liquid into the drum during the wash operation,   c. means for producing through said two active baffles a negative pressure at a rate sufficient to continuously withdraw the liquid from the interior of the drum to prevent a bath type washing action,   d. means to continuously discharge the withdrawn liquid from the interior of the drum outside the machine, and   e. means to stop the introduction of liquid at the end of the wash operation and continue the negative pressure to withdraw liquid from the drum during the extraction operation and discharge it outside the machine.   
     
     
       2. The laundry machine of claim 1 wherein only one active baffle is connected to said negative pressure producing means at a time. 
     
     
       3. The laundry machine of claim 1 wherein the two active baffles are 180° apart. 
     
     
       4. The laundry machine of claim 3 wherein the four baffles are equally spaced. 
     
     
       5. The laundry machine of claim 1 wherein the drum diameter and speed of rotation is equivalent to a drum having a diameter of 25 inches and a speed of 48 revolutions per minute during the wash operation. 
     
     
       6. The laundry machine of claim 1 wherein the liquid introduced into the drum is at an average rate of 0.5 to 3.0 gallons per minute during the wash operation. 
     
     
       7. The laundry machine of claim 1 wherein the means for introducing liquid into the drum and the means for producing the negative pressure to withdraw the liquid from the drum cooperate with each other so that the clothes are saturated at above 150%, by weight, liquid retention. 
     
     
       8. The laundry machine of claim 7 wherein the means to continue the negative pressure to withdraw the liquid during the extraction operation is continued until the liquid retention of the clothes is reduced to below 150%. 
     
     
       9. The laundry machine of claim 1 wherein one active baffle is connected to the negative pressure producing means from between 0° to 90° ahead of bottom dead center of the rotatable drum and stays connected only until it reaches the position at which the other baffle was at the time the first baffle was connected. 
     
     
       10. The laundry machine of claim 9 wherein the one active baffle is connected to the negative pressure producing means from approximately 75° ahead of bottom dead center of the rotatable drum. 
     
     
       11. A laundry machine having both a wash and extraction operation including: a. a rotatable horizontal axis drum for tumbling clothes therein, said drum having only two active baffles and two inactive baffles secured to the interior of the drum, said two active baffles being located on opposite sides of the interior of the drum between 170° and 190° apart,   b. means for continuously introducing fresh liquid into the drum at an average rate of 0.5 to 3 gallons per minute during the wash operation,   c. means for producing through said two active baffles a negative pressure sufficient to continuously withdraw the liquid from the interior of the drum at a rate substantially equal to the rate of liquid introduction into the drum to thereby prevent a bath type washing action,   d. means to continuously discharge the withdrawn liquid from the interior of the drum outside the machine, and   e. means to stop the introduction of liquid at the end of the wash operation and continue the negative pressure to withdraw liquid from the drum during the extraction operation and discharge it outside the machine.   
     
     
       12. A method of washing clothes by performing both a wash and a subsequent extraction operation in a machine having a rotatable horizontal axis cylindrical drum and a negative pressure producing means comprising the following steps: a. tumbling the clothes by rotating the drum, said tumbling being aided by two active baffles and two inactive baffles secured to the interior of the drum, said two active baffles being located on opposite sides of the interior of the drum between 170° and 190° apart,   b. introducing fresh liquid into the drum continuously during the wash operation,   c. producing through said two active baffles a negative pressure sufficient to continuously withdraw the liquid from the interior of the drum to prevent a bath type washing action,   d. discharging the liquid continuously from the interior of the drum outside the machine, and   e. stopping the introduction of liquid at the end of the washing operation while continuing the negative pressure to withdraw liquid from the drum during the extraction operation and discharge it outside the machine.   
     
     
       13. A method of washing clothes in accordance with claim 12 wherein introducing fresh liquid into the drum is at an average rate of 0.5 to 3.0 gallons per minute during the wash operation. 
     
     
       14. The method of washing clothes in accordance with claim 13 wherein introducing fresh liquid into the drum is at an average rate of 0.75 to 1.50 gallons per minute during the wash operation. 
     
     
       15. The method of washing clothes in accordance with claim 12 wherein introducing fresh liquid into the drum and withdrawing the used liquid from the drum is controlled with respect to each operation so that the clothes are saturated at above 150%, by weight, liquid retention. 
     
     
       16. The method of washing clothes in accordance with claim 12 wherein introducing liquid into the drum and producing the negative pressure to withdraw the liquid from the drum are regulated with respect to each other such that the clothes are saturated at above 150%, by weight, liquid retention. 
     
     
       17. The method of washing clothes in accordance with claim 16 wherein maintaining the negative pressure during the extraction operation is continued until the liquid retention of the clothes is reduced to below 150%, by weight. 
     
     
       18. The method of washing clothes in accordance with claim 12 wherein one active baffle is connected to the negative pressure producing means from between 90° ahead of bottom dead center of the rotatable drum and stays connected only until it reaches the position at which the other baffles was at the time the first baffle was connected. 
     
     
       19. The method of washing clothes in accordance with claim 18 wherein the one active baffle was connected to the negative pressure producing means from approximately 75° ahead of bottom dead center of the rotatable drum.